8. Save the carpet: With the arrival of guests comes the rearrangement of furniture. Who hasn’t moved their couch only to find an unsightly, flattened portion of the carpet? To remove these indentations, place a damp towel over the area and rub a hot iron over it. The steam will fluff up the carpet so no one will know where the couch really goes. Be careful not to apply the iron directly onto your carpet as it will melt!

9. Cleaning the dishwasher: After a couple of months grime, soap scum and bits of food can have quite a negative impact on your dishwasher and this isn't the time for it to perform poorly! A good scrub down will restore its power if you are finding that your dishes are coming out less than clean. Run the empty machine with a store-bought cleanser or citric acid powder. Also, remove the bottom tray of the washer and clean the holes in the fan with an awl or another similar tool. Avoid using something that can break off and fall into the holes!

10. Cleaning wallpaper: Most wallpaper is washable, but if yours is not, lightly soiled areas can be cleaned using a borax powder. Wipe with a clean cloth (a dry one) then remove the powder with another clean dry cloth. A slice of rye bread will work as well. Just rub it on the lightly soiled spot. Other breads won't do—it's the gluten in the rye that does the trick!